(BBC News) – Organisers of the Australian Open have changed their extreme heat policy ahead of the 2015 tennis tournament.

Director Craig Tiley said a roof had been added to a third court, and the heat policy had been updated to "ensure conditions are fair for all players".

Temperatures soared above 40C during the 2014 tournament, causing players to faint or suffer from heatstroke.

Organisers were criticised for not suspending matches, with some players describing conditions as "dangerous".

The extreme heat policy is implemented at the referee's discretion. Once the policy is introduced, play can be suspended at the end of the current set in each match.

In a statement on the Australian Open website, Mr Tiley said: "The decision on implementing the heat policy will take into account the forecast once the ambient temperature exceeds 40C, and the Wet Bulb Global Temperature (WBGT) reading exceeds 32.5.

"When conditions exceed these levels the referee is taking into account the forecast and state of play when making his discretionary call." [more]